Episode 561: What the Royals Look Like When They're Losing
Date October 22, 2014 Summary Ben and Sam discuss James Shields, Madison Bumgarner, and what World Series Game 1 reminded us about the Royals. Topics * San Francisco Giants vs. Kansas City Royals World Series * Are the Royals actually weaker or stronger depending on score * Why do Royals not turn batted balls to outs. * James Shields bad * Madison Bumgarner good * Royals' performance when trailing * Danny Duffy pitching instead of Tim Lincecum * Experience of attending a World Series game Intro Songs: Ohia, "The Big Game is Every Night" Banter * Ben and Sam agree that World Series game 1 was one of the least entertaining games of the postseason. * Episode 560 follow-up: Sam found the game where Bruce Bochy double switched in an AL park and forfeited the DH. He did it in the bottom of the eight while leading 4-1, so it was unlikely that the pitcher's spot would come up in the remainder of the game. "I can't decide whether this was the silliest move ever," or whether "it is brilliant, because he found a way to make a double switch in an AL park that made sense." * Sam is upset by a lawyer commercial that aired on the Giants' radio broadcast. A follow-up commercial had the father snidely concede that 1 hit in every 3 at-bats is not the same as 3 hits in 10 at-bats. To make things worse, the daughter in the commercial acts confused by math. * The broadcasts discussed how often the team that wins game 1 wins the World Series, but usually capped it at 10 or 20 years. Sam is particularly incensed at "15 of the last 17 years". Sam doesn't understand why broadcasts cap it to a certain time period instead of using all World Series in history. Notes * During the regular season the Royals came back from deficits in the 7th inning or later more than the average MLB team. * The Royals have the 2nd best road BABIP. * Despite poor performance in game 1, Sam would still start James Shields in game 5. * Sam says as a kid his nickname was 'Slammin' Sammy' despite "never hitting a slam". * Ben was in an auxiliary press box and had trouble seeing the game and hearing the crowd. He had trouble pinpointing how his coverage was better by being in Kansas City. * Sam notes that the San Francisco Giants auxiliary press box is even worse: It's an interior room with a TV screen. * Kansas City was all decked out for the World Series. This is different from larger cities such as New York, where you wouldn't even know that the World Series was taking place. Links * Effectively Wild Episode 561: What the Royals Look Like When They're Losing * A Win for the Giants, a Loss for Momentum, and Blurred Dreams in a Royally Blue Town by Ben Lindbergh * The Other Royals: World Series Game 1 by Sam Miller Category:Episodes